Vending machine



Oct. 22, 1935; w. B. JOHNSON VENDING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1 QM -MV z/ 06 j. 1 i; :9 Q 392 L 7- Wile yfia efakman flnnzntur Get. 22, 1935. w. B. JOHNSON VENDING MACHINE Qttomrgs.

Oct. 22, 1935. w. B.- JOHNSON VENDING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Wiley 2. e70fi216'0l% Oct. 22, 1935. w B JOHNSON 2,018,447

I VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 12, 1934 6 3 a fl /3 v Wil yfi. efakmam flnuzntnr Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE VENDING MACHINE Wiley Bledsoe Johnson, Cismont, Va., assignor otone-lialf to Essie F. Johnson, Cismont, Va.

Application April 12, 1934, Serial No. 720,309

3 Claims. (01. 194-2) This invention relates to vending machines of that type wherein the insertion of a coin permits actuation of wheels or other movable devices bearing legends having a certain significance as,

for example, telling fortunes, etc.

wasted and represent a loss which, if remedied,

would reduce the supplies necessary in maintaining the apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coin controlled apparatus with which is combined a vending mechanism whereby, following the actuation of the machine by the customer, the customer is given his choice of either removing an article of merchandise or of accepting an opportunity toagain actuate the machine without further cost to him.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it beingunderstood' that changes may be made inthe construction and arrangement or parts without departing from the spirit oi the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings one form of the invention has been shown.

In' said drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section of a coin controlled machine having combined with it the dispensing mechanism constituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine, a portion being broken away to expose some of the interior mechanism.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the vending mechanism constituting the present invention, the same being shown in its normal or locked position prior to the insertion of a coin.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the relative positions of the parts after a coin has been inserted in the machine and the operating lever swung downwardly.

Figure 5 is anelevation showing the opposite side of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 6' is a similar View showing the same parts when positioned as in- Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a section on line 1-1, Figure 5.

Figure 8' is a section'on line ti -8, Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing a slightly modified structure.

In carrying outthis invention any suitable coin controlled machine can be combined with the dispensing mechanism. stance there has been illustrated a coin controlled machine such as shown in Patent 1,697,537 dated January 1, 1929. Said machine includes a casing A provided with an operating lever 13 secured to a pivot C journalled in the wall of the casing and 10' to which is fastened an arm D which actuates the coin controlled mechanism of the machine. The arm has a lateral projection E which is adapted to actuate a stud F extending thereunder from the main actuating arm G of the coin controlled l6 mechanism. This arm, which is pivotally supported at H, is yieldingly supported by a spring I and carries 2. lug J which extends laterally therefrom back of an elongated dog K and a lever L which is fulcrumed on. the dog. The dog 80 is provided with a projecting tooth M.

The parts are so constructed and arranged that, under normal conditions, dog K is drawn forwardly by a spring N so that its tooth M will move into the path of lug J should an attempt 25..

be made to swing lever B forwardly and downwardly without inserting a coin or check of proper value. However when a proper coin or check is inserted into the machine at 0, it will be brought to a position where it will prevent dog K from moving into locking position so that lug J thus can pass tooth M and thereafter have sliding contact with the edge of dog K as arm G is pressed downwardly by arm D and lever B.

When lever B is released after being moved to its lowest point, its spr'mg I will return it and the parts connected thereto to their normal positions at which time the legend carrying and operating mechanism or the like contained in casing A will be operated.

The parts thus far described constitute, in themselves, no part of the present invention but have been clearly described and shown in the patent hereinbefore mentioned. It has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the various mechanisms cooperating therewith and, therefore, a description of those improvements constituting the present invention will now be given.

Mounted for rotation above and back of a .dispensing trough i or the like is a dispensing drum 2 the shaft 3 of which is provided with a knob 4 whereby it can be rotated in one direction, it being understood that any suitable means, such as a pawl 5,'is employed for holding the drum and shaft against rotation in the opposite direction.

In the present in- 5 This pawl cooperates with a ratchet wheel 6 secured to the shaft 3 and provided, in the present instance, with four regularly spaced teeth I one of which is adapted to be engaged by pawl 5 while another one is engaged by a locking dog 8 pivotally mounted as at 9.

Drum 2 has an annular series of recesses or pockets IOequal in number to the teeth I and regularly spaced, each pocket being adapted during the rotation of the drum, to move into position under the open bottom of a container so as to receive therefrom an article of merchandise indicated generally at X.

The locking dog 8 has a laterally extending lug I2 which constitutes a stop for a locking lever I3 which is fulcrumed at its lower end. as shown at I4 and has an arm I 5 connected by a spring Hi to dog 8. This spring is constantly under tension and therefore acts to hold the dog 8 normally pulled downwardly into engagement with one of the teeth I as shown in Figure 3 while at the same time lever I3 is held normally pressed forwardly against the stop lug |2. While lever I3 is thus held a portion thereof laps one side of the ratchet wheel 6. This portion is formed with a cam I! which normally extends into thepath of a series of shifting elements which, in the presentinstance are in the form of pins I8 extending laterally from the ratchet wheel. One of these pins is provided for each tooth 'I' and the pins are regularly spaced.

The upper end of locking lever I3 extends across one side of acontrolling disk I9 which is mounted for rotation upon a fixed stud 20. Extending laterally from one side of this disk are regularly spaced locking pins 2| any one of which is adapted to be embraced by a locking yoke 22 slidably connected to the lever l3 and provided with a deflecting head 23. Extending in the op- .posite direction from disk I9 are tripping pins 24. V In the structure illustrated in Figures'B to 8 these tripping pins are regularly spaced and are arranged in line with alternate locking pins 2|.

Extending into the path of the tripping pins is one end of a tripping lever 25. This lever is fulcrumed at a point between its ends as shown at 26 while its other end is movably connected at Z'I to an arm 28 extending from the locking dog 8.

A latch lever 29 is fulcrumed at one end as shown at 3|] while its other end has a head 3| extending downwardly therefrom adjacent to but normally out of engagement with a pin 32 extending from the dog K. Normally this latch lever is supported by one of the tripping pins 24 r as shown in Figures 3 and 5 so that it is thus possible for the dog K 'to move toward shaft C and into position to prevent actuation of arm G and 5. Thus lever B cannot be actuated because tooth M will extend into the path of its lug J. Furthermore drum 2 and its shaft 3 cannot be rotated in either direction because of the pawl 5 and dog 8 which engage the ratchet wheel 6 6 as shown in Figure 3.

When a customer desires to operate the machine a coin is deposited at a point and will.

be brought to position where it will hold back the dog K until the lug J travelling with the descending arm G has passed tooth M. Thereafter arm G can continue its downward movement until the actuating dog 33 comes into contact With the pin 2| in the path thereof. This will cause said pin to move from position a in Figure 3 to position b in said'figure and during this movement lever I3 and yoke 22 will be free to move therewith until the pin 2| in engagement with said yoke has passed out of engagement therewith and into its new position at a.

After yoke 22 has been released from engagement with its pin 2| the spring IE will swing lever I3 and yoke 22 back to the position shown in Figure 4 where the yoke will engage the pin 2| at position 0. At this time the head 23 will strike against the pin in the path thereof and elevate the yoke so that it can drop into. engagement with the pin which has been newly brought thereunder. Thus the parts will be reset but as there is now no pin 24 beneath latch lever 29, said latch lever will be dropped into engagement with pin 32 and thus hold dog K out of the path of lug J.

lug I2 as shown in Figure 4. Thus yoke 22 was 35 restored to its normal position and snapped into engagement with a pin 2| in the path thereof.

With the parts positioned as in Figure 4 as a result of the release of lever B and its first actua-' tion, either of two additional operations can now be performed by the customer. If the customer so desires he can rotate drum 2 in a clockwise direction by means of knob 4. This will cause one of the pins |8 in Figure 4 to move against cam IT and the upper tooth to move under and support dog 8. When pin l8 comes against cam II it will release the lug I2 by thrusting lever I3 backwardly. Dog 8 will drop onto the ratchet wheel and will not interfere with its rotation until the next tooth 1 is brought against the dog. Thus 1 after a predetermined movement of the drum it will be stopped but this movement will be sufficient to deliver into the trough I the article or articles of merchandise to which the customer'is entitled. a When the locking dog 8 was released and dropped as described and tripping lever 25 restored to its normal position the lever I3, which had been pushed back by pin l8, moved agsufilcient distance at its upper end to rotate disk IS a distance equal to the distance between two ad.- joining pins 2|. This movement is sufficient to bring a pin 24 into position under the latch 29 to raise it and release pin 32 and dog K. Consequently lever B and the parts actuated thereby 5 can not be swung downwardly. In other words in return for the deposit of a coin or check the customer has been allowed one operation of the lever B and one delivery of merchandise.

Had the customer preferred not to retain any merchandise the mechanism which has been described would have allowed him to operate the lever' B twice. In other words if the customer fails to rotate knob 4 and drum 2 after the first operation of the lever B and while the ratchet wheel 6 is unlocked, the dog K will be held back by latch lever 29 as shown in Figure 4 so that arm G can thus be moved downwardly a second time by its lever B and cause actuation of the legendcarrying or other coin controlled mechanism in casing A. During this second actuation of the lever B dog 33 will again come against the pin 2| in the path thereof, moving it from position a to position b and moving a pin 24 from position 0 to position d. Thus during the completion of the downward movement of lever B and its arm G the pin 24 arriving at position d will lift latch lever 29 to the position shown in Figure 3 while at the same time another pin 2| will be brought to position d into engagement with yoke 22. Obviously a third operation of lever B will not be possible because tooth M will be in the path of lug J and can only be removed therefrom by the insertion of another coin.

It is to be understood that the number of pins for operating the latch lever 29 can be varied according to the number of actuations to be permitted following the insertion of a coin or check. For example, and as shown in Figure 9, only two pins 31 have been used instead of the four pins 24 shown in Figures 5 and 6. In other words a greater number of operations of lever B will be permitted to rotate disk 38 into position to lift latch lever 29 than would be permitted where disk I9 is used.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a coin controlled mechanism, of an operating member therefor, a delivery device, means for supplying merchandise to the delivery device, means for limiting the operations of said member, means operated by the member for releasing the delivery device for actuation by a customer, and means operated by said delivery device if actuated, for further limiting the operation of said member.

2. The combination with coin controlled operating mechanism including an actuating arm, and a dog for limiting the operation of said arm, of a merchandise delivering device mounted for movement in one direction, means for holding the same against movement in the opposite direction,

a latch for holding the dog against movement, a rotatable member having separate tripping and locking pins, means carried by the operating arm for actuating the rotatable member, a locking lever, means carried thereby and cooperating 5 with the locking pins for actuating the rotatable member, a tripping lever extending into the path of the tripping pins for actuation thereby. a locking dog shiftable by the tripping lever for holding the delivering device against movement, means 10 on said dog for holding the locking lever against movement, said means being shiitable with the dog by the actuation of the tripping lever to release the locking lever from restrained position and to support the dog out of holding position, 15 means for actuating the delivering device when released by the dog, and cooperating means carried by the delivering device and the locking lever for shifting said locking lever to release the dog into locking position and restore the tripping lever 20 to normal position.

3. The combination with a delivering mechanism including a ratchet, a locking dog cooperating with the ratchet for holding the delivering device against movement to deliver an article, and 25 a tripping lever for actuating the dog, of a looking lever, means on the dog for limiting the movement of said lever in one direction, means on the lever for. engaging said limiting means to hold the dog out of restraining position when shifted to release the ratchet, a cam on the locking lever, means on the ratchet for engaging the cam to shift the locking lever and release the dog when said dog is held out of restraining position by the dog holding means on the locking lever, a rotata-. 3d ble element, coin controlled means for actuating said element, an elongated dog for holding said means against movement, a latch lever for holding said elongated dog against movement, means carried by the locking lever for shifting said rotatable element, means actuated by said rotatable element when shifted for actuating the latch lever to release the elongated dog, and means on said rotating element for actuating the tripping lever to shift the locking dog to released position. 45

WILEY BLEDSOE JOHNSON. 

